Scents of direction

Nothing's worse than being overdressed. Stick to your winter fragrance year round and you're in danger of olfactory overkill.

Come spring, those heady oriental numbers we tend to waft around in over winter seem so wrong in warmer weather. Lighter florals, watery notes and citrus versions are far more appropriate and much easier to wear. They're the perfume equivalent of a breezy low-maintenance woman.

Calvin Klein CK One Summer
$115 for 100ml eau de toilette

It's like a bottle of summer. With a top note of tangerine, pineapple and grapefruit, a mid-note of frangipani and a base of musk, this is like one long beach party - well the sort they have in The OC. From selected department stores and pharmacies.

Stella McCartney Sheer Stella
$100 for 100ml eau de toilette

This has the kind of ingredients you'd like to order in a long, cool glass: iced lemon and granny smith apples. Combine that with rose and amber and it's a recipe for a fabulous summer, drifting about smelling like the embodiment of boho chic minus the patchouli. Heaven in a floral, frosted bottle. From selected department stores and pharmacies.

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Summer
$65 for 100ml eau de toilette

The laid-back version of Arden's popular Green Tea rounds up the fragrance's usual suspects of tangerine, lemon, bergamot, cyclamen, water lily, musk and amber and adds some seasonal extras. From selected department stores and pharmacies.

Van Cleef & Arpels First Pour L'Ete
$110 for 100ml eau de toilette

This sophisticated French fragrance lightens up with mandarin, blackcurrant, peony and lily. Gorgeous. From selected department stores and pharmacies.

Alexander McQueen Kingdom Eau de Toilette
$100 for 50ml

Alexander McQueen's regular Kingdom fragrance is known to emit a rather sensual and sexual scent. This limited-edition perfume has gone from vamp to not quite innocent for summer with bergamot, mandarin, ginger, jasmine, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla and sandalwood. From selected department stores and pharmacies.

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